Cavs, Mavs Get Back at Celts, OKC; Tie Semis Series at 1-1
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 10 May 2024
Could it be Cleveland uncharacteristically played well on the road or the Boston Celtics characteristically choked again at home?
The Cavaliers won their first win away from home by defeating the Celtics, 118-94 in game two to tie their semifinal series at one game apiece heading to the next two games in Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the OKC Thunder suffered their first playoff loss dropping a 119-110 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks likewise squaring their semis series at 1-all.
The next two games will be played in Dallas.
The losses neutralize Boston's and OKC's supposed homecourt advantage.
The Cavs, which advanced by winning all four home games while losing all three road games versus Orlando, came out of game two against the host Celtics, a team which was resolved to have a different ending this time.
Donovan Mitchell still was the leader in offense but more Cavs than was usual were determined to help out in securing a different result in this game two.
On the other side, while Jason Tatum delivered his usual numbers, his partner Jaylen Brown came up with tamer statsline. Derrick White, a dependable points contributor since the Miami series, had an off night.
It seemed deja vu of their second game loss to the Heat as the Cavs outshoot the Celtics from the floor including the three points zone, 47/86 and 13/28 as against 33/80 and 8/35.
Mitchell scored "only" 29 points but got support from Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley who posted 21 points each. Darius Garland added 14 points while Max Struss and Isaac Okoro tossed 12 points each.
Tatum topped for Boston with 25 points but Brown managed just 19 points. Payton Pritchard added 14, Al Horford had 13 points but White managed a quiet 10 points.
The situation was almost similar in the OKC-Dallas game.
The Mavs also decisively outshot the Thunder particularly in the three-point range 18/37 as against 10/33 though barely in the total field goal shooting.
Instrumental to this was the dynamic comeback of Luka Doncic whose 29 points output was matched by teammate PJ Washington prompting Kyrie Irving, who had an offensive off night, to concentrate in playmaking in support of his teammates.
Shai Gilgeous Alexander still flashed his MVP candidate form with another near triple double but could not get adequate scoring support from his other teammates to turn things around.
Doncic and Washington topped with 29 points each. Tim Hardaway Jnr and Josh Green came off the bench for 17 points and 11 points respectively while Daniel Galford had 13 points. Irving had just 9 points but team high 11 assists.
Alexander led OKC with 33 points but only two other Thunder were in double figures namely Jalen Williams with 20 points and Chet Holmgren with 13 points.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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